Excerpt
ADOPTION of the Gramm-Rudman legislation poses a major challenge for the soil conservation movement. For four years the Reagan Administration has proposed drastic cuts in conservation programs, and Congress has successfully protected meager budgets for resource protection. The Gramm-Rudman Act changes that scenario. While many areas of the federal budget are automatically exempted from administrative authority to balance the budget, conservation agencies and programs have no such protection. The Soil Conservation Service and now even the Extension Service are potential targets for elimination.
To ensure the continuation of federal programs, it is now essential for the soil conservation movement to become more closely allied with broader conservation interests. It must also strive to form a strong coalition between agricultural and urban conservation interests by designing conservation programs that are an integral part of the farm economy.
The farm bill's 45-million-acre conservation reserve provision is a shining example of the achievements of a farm/urban coalition. The reserve concept received strong support, from both policymakers and the public, compared to other provisions of the farm bill. But even this high level of support is not a guarantee that the reserve will be protected from the …
Footnotes
Duane Sand is the resourceful farming project director for the Iowa National Heritage Foundation, 505 Fifth Avenue, Suite 830, Des Moines, Iowa 50309.
- Copyright 1986 by the Soil and Water Conservation Society
This article requires a subscription to view the full text. If you have a subscription you may use the login form below to view the article. Access to this article can also be purchased.